What is the difference between Forklift Training for the Competent Person and standard Forklift Safety Training?

The competent person course expands standard forklift training to include supervisory duties and responsibilities, designed for supervisors and safety personnel rather than general operators.

What topics are covered in Forklift Training for the Competent Person?

Topics include forklift types, operating principles, stability, hazard recognition, inspection requirements, maintenance, recordkeeping, training requirements, and OSHA compliance.

What are the responsibilities of a forklift competent person?

Responsibilities include ensuring proper operator training, conducting pre-shift inspections, identifying unsafe conditions, maintaining records, recognizing hazards, and enforcing safe procedures.

Competent Person Forklift Safety Course

Q: Who is required to take Forklift Training for the Competent Person?

The course targets designated competent persons for powered industrial truck operations, warehouse supervisors and foremen overseeing forklift activities, safety officers responsible for forklift safety programs, facility managers implementing OSHA compliance, and workers with supervisory responsibilities over forklift operators.

Q: Is eTraining's online Forklift Training for the Competent Person course OSHA-compliant?

Yes, it is developed directly from OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.178 and includes a certificate upon completion.

Featured Courses

2026 8 Hour HAZWOPER Refresher

This convenient Hazwoper Refresher Course is updated annually to reflect any changes in regulation and...

Lithium Battery Safety

Fires. Explosions. Environmental cleanups. Lithium battery failures are dangerous but often preventable. This new online...

View All OSHA Courses

Course Information

Everything You Need to Know
About This Course

Course Details at a Glance

Key facts before you enroll.

Who Should Take This Course?

Find out if this training applies to you.

Industries That Require This Training

See which sectors depend on this training.

What's Included

Everything that comes with your enrollment.

Try It Free

5-minute interactive course preview.

Course Overview

Watch a 90-second overview of the Competent Person Forklift Safety Course — no login required.

Course overview video not available.

Enroll Now — $59.00

Try It Free — 5-Minute Interactive Preview

Experience the first 5 minutes of the course right here. No account or payment required.

Interactive Course Preview

5-minute preview of Module 1 — Competent Person Forklift Safety Course
No login or payment required

Enroll Now — $59.00

What You Get When You Enroll

Everything included with your Competent Person Forklift Safety Course training.

✓Approximately 4-Hour Online TrainingComplete online training covering OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 and forklift operations and safety and competent person responsibilities.
✓Downloadable MaterialsDownload course materials and resources included with your enrollment.
✓Self-Paced FormatTrain at your own pace with narrated instruction and photos and video and interactivity.
✓Instant certificate of completionPrintable PDF, ready immediately after passing
✓Mobile-friendly platformTrain on desktop, tablet, or smartphone
✓Progress saved automaticallyStop and restart without losing your place
✓30-day satisfaction guaranteeFull refund if you're not satisfied

Enroll Now — $59.00

Course Details at a Glance

Everything you need to know before enrolling in the Competent Person Forklift Safety Course.

Detail

Information

OSHA Standard

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178

Course Duration

Approximately 4 hours

Format

100% online, narrated with photos, video, and interactivity

Passing Score

70% on final exam

Certificate

Personalized certificate, printable immediately upon passing

Languages

English and Spanish

Device Compatibility

Desktop, tablet, and smartphone

Accepted

Our courses meet federal standards, but state requirements may vary. Please verify before purchase.

Price Match

eTraining will beat any competitor’s price; send proof and your order number, and we’ll refund the difference + $10.

Enroll Now — $59.00

Who Should Take the Competent Person Forklift Safety Course?

Find out if this training applies to your role, your job site, or your employer's compliance requirements, and whether it matches the certification you need.

✓Warehouse supervisors and foremen overseeing forklift operations
✓Designated competent persons for powered industrial truck operations
✓Safety officers in facilities with forklifts and material handling equipment
✓Facility managers responsible for forklift safety programs
✓Workers with supervisory responsibilities over forklift operators
✓Employers needing to designate qualified competent persons for forklift operations
✓Training coordinators developing forklift operator training programs
✓Workers seeking advanced forklift safety knowledge and certification

Enroll Now — $59.00

Industries That Require Competent Person Forklift Safety Course

Employers across a wide range of industries use this course to meet federal, state, and site-specific safety training requirements for their workforce.

✓Warehousing and distribution centers
✓Manufacturing and production facilities
✓Retail and wholesale operations
✓Construction and building materials
✓Food and beverage processing
✓Automotive and parts distribution
✓Logistics and transportation
✓Cold storage and refrigerated facilities
✓Lumber and building supply yards
✓General industry with material handling operations

Enroll Now — $59.00

Why eTraining

Better Training.
Better Outcomes.

Over 50,000 workers trained. Here's what makes us the trusted choice for OSHA compliance.

OSHA Citation Printed on Every Certificate

Every certificate shows OSHA citation — so your employer and site safety officer can verify compliance at a glance.

No Setup. No LMS. Train in Minutes.

Pay once, get instant access — no account setup, no app downloads, no IT required. Works on any browser.

Built for Field Workers, Not Classrooms

Content is grounded in real hazardous waste site operations — not recycled classroom slides. Scenarios reflect the work your crew actually does.

Trusted by Safety Managers & Contractors

Used by EHS managers, general contractors, and federal site supervisors to keep crews certified on time, every year.

Instant PDF

Print-Ready

Shareable

Student Reviews

What Our Students Are Saying

★★★★★

Very good course. Thanks for the ability to have interactive chat room. This course was much more comprehensive than any other course that I have taken.

Mark W.

★★★★★

I felt the course to be a great help. Clear definitions of classifications were my personal weak areas. The course layout progressed well and I felt the navigation was easy for review.

Thomas T.

★★★★★

This course is well set up. makes it so much easier than a classroom. I have learned all the information i needed learn at my own pace. I highly recommend this class.

Justin W.

★★★★★

Was very educational and more then enough valuable information given to understand material. Video's where very helpful in demonstrating the steps and measures needed to perform maintainance on equipment.

Austin D.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Competent Person Forklift Safety Course.

Forklift Training for the Competent Person is an OSHA-compliant training program covering 29 CFR 1910.178. It provides approximately 4 hours of instruction that expands on standard forklift operator training to include the duties and responsibilities of a competent person working on job sites with forklift activities. The course covers forklift operations, safety procedures, hazard recognition, inspection and maintenance procedures, and supervisory responsibilities. Upon completion, participants receive a certificate of completion.

OSHA requires that a competent person be present on every job site, including sites with forklift operations. Workers who need this training include designated competent persons for powered industrial truck operations, warehouse supervisors and foremen overseeing forklift activities, safety officers responsible for forklift safety programs, facility managers implementing OSHA compliance, and workers with supervisory responsibilities over forklift operators. The competent person must have knowledge of forklift hazards and the authority to take corrective action.

The course requires approximately 4 hours of instruction time. Because it is self-paced, most students complete it within a few days to one week. You can complete the training over multiple sessions at your convenience. Progress is saved automatically, so you can stop and resume on the same device at any time.

Forklift Training for the Competent Person takes all of the information covered in standard Forklift Safety Training and expands on it to include knowledge and training on the duties and responsibilities of the competent person working on job sites with forklift activities. Standard Forklift Safety Training is intended for general site workers and forklift operators, while the Competent Person course is designed for supervisors and designated safety personnel with oversight responsibilities. The competent person course provides the additional knowledge needed to supervise operations, conduct inspections, and ensure OSHA compliance.

The course covers all topics from standard forklift operator training plus competent person responsibilities including forklift types and classifications, operating principles and controls, stability and load capacity, safe operating procedures, hazard recognition including tip-overs, pedestrian safety, and struck-by hazards, inspection requirements and procedures, maintenance and recordkeeping, training requirements for operators, supervisory responsibilities for ensuring safe operations, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 compliance requirements, and the role and duties of the competent person in forklift operations. The training is designed to maximize retention with interactive content and comprehensive coverage.

You must score at least 70% on the final exam to pass the course. If you do not pass on the first attempt, you can review the material and retake the exam. The course is designed to prepare you thoroughly for the final assessment.

Yes. eTraining’s Forklift Training for the Competent Person course is developed directly from OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.178 for forklift safety. You receive a certificate of completion upon passing that documents your training. The course is accepted by employers and helps satisfy OSHA’s requirement for competent persons on job sites with forklift operations.

The forklift competent person is responsible for ensuring that forklift operators are properly trained and evaluated, conducting or overseeing daily pre-shift inspections of forklifts, identifying and correcting unsafe forklift operating conditions, ensuring compliance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 requirements, maintaining training and inspection records, recognizing hazards such as inadequate clearances, unstable loads, or pedestrian traffic, enforcing safe operating procedures, evaluating operators and authorizing them to operate specific forklift types, and taking prompt corrective action when hazards are identified including halting operations if necessary. The competent person plays a critical role in forklift safety programs.

Yes. The Forklift Training for the Competent Person course works on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Your progress is saved automatically on the same device, allowing you to pick up where you left off.